AssistantAssociate Professor in Technical and Scientific Communication

Job Description

Virginia Techs Department of English invites applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor in Technical and Scientific Communication. This position reflects Virginia Techs strategic commitment to understanding not only how technologies are developed but how they are implemented communicated trusted and integrated into organizations and communities with a particular focus on healthcare. We seek an innovative scholar whose work advances the future of technical and scientific communication in an era increasingly defined by artificial intelligence automation immersive technologies and complex sociotechnical systems. We seek a scholar whose research and teaching examine how communication shapes the design implementation and use of emerging technologies in professional organizational scientific technical or healthcare environments.

This position is associated with Virginia Techs Smart Healthcare Hub initiative () and will contribute to the growth of interdisciplinary research innovation and teaching at the intersection of emerging technologies healthcare-related simulations digital and/or medical humanities experience design operations and human-centered systems. The successful candidate will join a highly multidisciplinary and collaborative environment that values innovation experiential learning translational research and community engagement. The successful candidate will contribute to Virginia Techs internationally recognized Technical and Scientific Communication program as a member of the Department of English while engaging in interdisciplinary research collaborations across the university.

Given the expectation that the position will involve high research productivity and pursuit of research funding as part of the Smart Healthcare Hub initiative the position will begin with a teaching assignment of two courses per academic year (one in fall and one in spring) that includes teaching in the Department of Englishs undergraduate Technical and Scientific Communication and the doctoral Rhetoric and Writing programs. After three years the teaching assignment is expected to increase to the departments typical teaching assignment for tenure-track and tenured faculty of four courses each academic year (two in fall and two in spring).

Position Overview
The ideal candidate for this position will help define the future of the discipline by advancing research that improves communication across complex technical scientific healthcare governmental or industrial contexts.

We welcome applicants whose scholarship addresses one or more areas including but not limited to:

• Ethics of emerging technologies
• Rhetoric of science technology and medicine
• Digital and/or medical humanities
• Human-centered design
• Technical communication and artificial intelligence
• Accessibility and inclusive design
• Science writing

The department particularly values scholars whose work bridges traditional disciplinary boundaries and who are skilled at collaborating with researchers across engineering computer science health sciences business public policy and the humanities. We seek an individual that has expertise in applying their work within the healthcare sector.

Responsibilities
The successful candidate will maintain an active externally visible research program including work associated with the Smart Healthcare Hubs focus; contribute to undergraduate and graduate education; mentor students; and participate in departmental college and university service.

Primary responsibilities include:

Research

• Develop and sustain a nationally recognized program of scholarship in technical and scientific communication.
• Publish in leading journals and present research at national and international conferences.
• Pursue externally funded research opportunities and contribute to collaborative external funding proposals.
• Build interdisciplinary collaborations across Virginia Tech and with external partners.
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate student researchers.

Teaching
Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in technical and scientific communication and rhetoric including foundational and advanced courses that may include grant writing; medical and science writing; the rhetoric of science technology and medicine; document design; visual rhetoric; and/or digital rhetoric. Faculty are encouraged to develop new courses aligned with their expertise and emerging areas of the discipline.

Service
The successful candidate will contribute to the continued growth of Virginia Techs nationally recognized Technical and Scientific Communication program through curriculum development student mentoring program leadership and university service while participating in national professional organizations.

Collaborative Opportunities
Virginia Tech offers exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. The successful candidate will have opportunities to engage with faculty across the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences College of Engineering College of Science Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Pamplin College of Business and numerous university-wide research institutes and centers such as the Institute for Society Culture and Environment Institute for Creativity Arts and Technology the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and the Whole Health Consortium.

How to Apply

Screening of applications will begin November 15 2026. For full consideration all materials must be submitted prior to this date. Please submit:

• A CV
• A Cover Letter
• A detailed statement detailing teaching/mentoring philosophy
• A detailed statement of research accomplishments and plans
• Names and contact information for 3 professional references; references will be contacted to upload letters of support to the application during the review process

Please direct questions to Dr. James D. Ivory Search Committee Chair at .

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Technical and Professional Communication Rhetoric and Writing Studies Communication English Information Science Human-Centered Computing Science Communication User Experience or a closely related field by the time of appointment.
• Demonstrated potential for an active and impactful research agenda supported by extramural funding.
• Evidence of excellence or strong potential in undergraduate and graduate teaching.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive teaching mentoring and collaboration.
• Ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary research environments.

Preferred Qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates with one or more of the following:

• Research addressing emerging technologies and communication.
• Expertise in human-centered design user experience or information design.
• Research focused on healthcare health technologies public health or implementation.
• Evidence of pursuing or securing external research funding.
• Experience mentoring graduate students.

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

Commensurate with Experience as an Assistant Professor the range is $75000 to $82000 / as an Associate Professor the range is $83000 to $92000

Hours per week

*

Review Date

November 15 2026

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its mottoUt Prosim(That I May Serve) Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world Virginia Tech is aninclusive communitydedicated to knowledge discovery and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36000 undergraduate graduate and professional students in eightundergraduate colleges aschool of medicine aveterinary medicinecollegeGraduate School andHonors College.The university has a significant presence across Virginia including Blacksburg the greater Washington D.C. area the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke sites in Newport News and Richmond and numerousExtension officesandresearch institutes.A leading global research institution Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.